Yoon vows to complete medical reform despite prolonged standoff

President Yoon Suk Yeol reaffirmed his commitment to complete medical reform aimed at increasing the number of doctors to deal with growing healthcare demand driven by an aging population, according to an interview published Tuesday. In a written interview with The Straits Times of Singapore, Yoon vowed to stay on course with the reform agenda although the monthslong walkout by trainee doctors against the government's plan to hike the medical school quota has shown little sign of progress to resolve the standoff. "Even if it is difficult to enact reforms, we will definitely complete healthcare reform in order to protect the lives of the people and nurture our country's growth engines," Yoon said in the interview. "I am confident that we will succeed if we trust the people, join them and use their power to implement reforms that they want," he added. Yoon described South Korea's health care system as "among the best in the world" and the long overdue medical reforms are "absolutely necessary" to sustain th e excellent medical services and prepare for an aging society. He pointed out it takes at least a decade to fully educate and train medical doctors, saying the country's medical school quota has not been adjusted in 30 years despite a sharp hike in income levels and the elderly population. "This means an explosive increase in medical needs," Yoon said. "It is patently obvious that more doctors, nurses and caregivers are needed to respond to this demand." The government is pushing for measures to increase funding for essential and regional medical services and areas and ease the legal burdens faced by doctors. Source: Yonhap News Agency